We Are Never Getting Back Together
by ArtificialAorta
Summary: Much to the dismay of Darcy, her ex makes her crazy and she honestly can't help it. So Clint offers to be her fake boyfriend for the afternoon because guy code states you don't mess with a taken lady. Darcy is skeptical.


**Summary** : Much to the dismay of Darcy, her ex makes her crazy and she honestly can't help it. So Clint offers to be her fake boyfriend for the afternoon because guy code states you don't mess with a taken lady. Darcy is skeptical.  
 **Pairings** : Darcy Lewis/ Clint Barton  
 **A/N** : This is meant to be the first part in a long, three part trope-tastic extravaganza exploring 'fake relationships' because I freaking love these two in that trope. I've been working on it for a while but recently have writer's block. So, here's the first installment. I honestly don't know when I'll finish the rest but this can stand alone and I've missed posting Darcy/Clint. This fic needs to see the light of day and shall no longer hold it back...  
 **A/N2** : Title taken from Taylor Swift's song.

* * *

The moment Darcy looked at the caller ID on her phone, her stomach dropped. The moment Jane saw the name, she scowled.

"Give me the phone," demand Jane, reaching to grab Darcy's cell phone. Darcy was too fast and extended it out of the astrophysicist's reach.

"No, I can handle it," Darcy insisted.

"No you can't," Jane shouted back. They were sitting in front of the Avengers in the corner of the Caribbean restaurant, Negril Village, but that didn't stop Jane jumping out of her chair in an attempt to grab the phone. In doing so, she knocked over her glass.

"Now, now, kids, what's the problem?" Tony Stark asked with a patronizing tone. He was sitting next to Jane and wasn't happy that her glass of wine was now soaking his plantains. After the shawarma meal that ended the Battle of New York, Pepper suggested the team do a culinary tour of the world in an attempt to bond when Thor returned to Earth indefinitely. It had the added bonus of showing Thor what New York had to offer outside of crazyball villains. Today's stop was the Caribbean islands. Tony looked at his wine-soaked plantains and wondered if they tasted better or worse.

"Give me the phone Darcy! It's for your own good. You have no backbone!" Jane continued, unaware of the scene she and Darcy were causing. Or maybe she was aware and just didn't care. The rest of the table was now watching them in interest. Thor, Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton all turned their eyes towards the bickering pair with varying looks of concern and interest. Tony picked up a plantain slice and ate it. He didn't _hate_ the taste.

"Anything you want to share?" Sam ventured.

"Darcy's ex is calling and every time he calls, it's for some stupid favor and Darcy always gives in," Jane explained, cheering when she finally got a grip on Darcy's phone and began a tug-of-war match.

"I promise I'll tell him to go fuck himself! Just let me answer it!" Darcy said, pulling the phone out of Jane's grasp. She stuck her tongue out at Jane. Jane made a quick motion between her eyes and Darcy with her forefinger and middle finger to show she was listening. Rolling her eyes, Darcy answered her cell phone curtly. "What? I thought I told you to never call me."

The table watched her with bated breath, excited to hear her tell off whoever was on the other line with her usual flair for sarcasm.

It didn't happen.

"No you listen to me- I…I know. But, ugh. No. Why? Just…I'm busy okay?" Darcy's confidence shrank and her voice grew smaller, losing all of its distinctive cheekiness. "Can't you get someone else? Okay. Fine. I'll see you when I get there. Yeah. I know. Bye."

As Darcy hung up, she got boos and exclamations of indignation from those around her.

"No backbone," Jane insisted but the cut of her words was softened by the hand she rubbed up and down Darcy's back. Tears started to well in Darcy's eyes but she fought them back.

"Seriously Lewis?" Tony crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

"C'mon girl, you're better than that," Sam said in a disappointed tone that made her feel like she'd let down her grandmother.

"What did he request? Perhaps I shall join on this quest. I intend to exchange stern words with this man," Thor said, looking very much like he was about to call for Mjolnir and let the hammer do most of the talking.

"Yeah, maybe I should join too," Steve added, balling up his napkin and throwing it onto the table.

"Where he goes, I go," Sam said with finality. "Especially if it involves setting nasty exes straight."

"I think the Hulk would like to tag along," joked Bruce, eating his rice and beans calmly even though there was a bit of green tinging his ears.

"Jane, I am hurt that you have not told me of this villain," Thor said, looking at Jane with a furrow in his brow. "I will not stand to have Darcy treated thus."

"I was gonna get you to talk to him but then Darcy promised that she'd never talk to him again," said Jane, sending a glare towards Darcy.

"I can handle it you guys," Darcy kept her head down as she started to throw her phone back into her purse and gather her coat. "He just needs a ride."

"I'm pretty sure you just showed us you can't handle it," Clint pointed out. "Why can't he take the subway?"

"Because he's got equipment that he has to carry and it's delicate and shouldn't be on the subway."

"Bullshit," said Jane. " _I_ have equipment. He has a laptop and a guitar."

"He has speakers _too_ Jane," Darcy huffed. "And pedals and other stuff that sounds Swedish."

"He treads on your heart _and_ demands transport?" Thor asked, outraged.

"I know, total tool right?" Jane said. "You better not be giving him a ride after his gig."

"He has someone tonight, the guy just had to cancel driving him to the place."

"Where does Romeo live?" Tony, raising an eyebrow when Darcy avoided his gaze before mumbling.

"East Bushwick."

"Brooklyn? You're driving his sorry ass from Brooklyn to, let me guess, some show in SoHo? Do you even have a car?" Tony asked. He was very aware that they had sold the van from New Mexico to fund their impromptu trip to London and hadn't needed another car since being picked up by Stark Inc.

"No, but I can find one," Darcy mumbled, hooking her purse over her neck. She turned to leave but Tony caught hold of the strap.

"Where?"

"Jake normally lends me one," shrugged Darcy, not meeting Tony's eyes.

"Who's Jake? He another disappointing lover?"

"He's the guy that's in charge of your garage," Jane supplied unhelpfully.

" _What_? You're using _my_ cars to chauffeur around this hipster loser? How did you get- Jake is it? How'd you convince him to lend you one of my cars?"

"Please, like you'd ever missed any of your cars. You don't even know the name of the guy watching them," Darcy said, some of her sass coming back. "And I forged a letter from you and wore a low cut top."

"Well, call your ex and tell him to take a cab because you're not using my car," Tony said sourly.

"I already promised him-"

"Like he promised you he wouldn't keep cheating you?" Jane added, earning a hiss from Clint. Looking at the faces around her, Darcy sighed and sat back down on her chair with the feeling of utter defeat.

"Low blow Jane. That happened once. And there's a lot more to the story and he was really sorry-" Darcy sighed, breaking off her explanation to take a calming breath. She focused on her hands clasped atop the table and continued with a steadier voice. "I don't have to explain myself to you guys."

"Just say no to him. Just this one time and I promise it'll get easier. He needs to know he can't just use you whenever he wants," Natasha assured, holding Darcy's gaze. For a second, Darcy almost believed her.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm dying to see this kid," Clint spoke up, breaking Darcy out of the pensive silence she hadn't realize she'd fallen into. She looked away from Natasha to see Clint shrugging on his worn purple zip-up hoodie. "C'mon Darcy. I'll join you. Be your rock. Maybe he'll leave you alone if he thinks you've got a boyfriend."

"You don't have to come," Darcy said, wide eyed at the offer.

"Yes he does, because you can't use my car unless he tags along," Tony smirked.

"Seriously?"

"Worried I'll embarrass you?" asked Clint with a wink, putting an arm around Darcy's shoulders and pulling her in so her face smashed against his collarbone.

"No, absolutely sure you will," sighed Darcy with a muffled voice.

"Use the Porsche Cayenne," Tony suggested before rubbing his chin with a contemplative look. "Pretty sure I have one of those."

As they walked away, the rest of the table erupted back into loud conversation of all the ways they wanted to scare the shit out of Darcy's ex.

* * *

They drove in the car for about five minutes in silence. Darcy stared out the passenger window, refusing to look at Clint. Eventually, she grew restless and played around with the radio. Finding a station playing the tail end of _Thrift Shop_ , she leaned back and hummed along. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Clint occasionally glancing at her.

"So, what is it about this guy that has you bending over backwards?" Clint asked. His face was impassive but the question had casual curiosity laced within it. If Darcy didn't want to answer, she didn't have to. She frowned.

Her gut lurched, even with the open invitation to completely ignore him. She and Clint had never been all that close. He was the one Avenger she hadn't gotten to know. They simply weren't on each other's radar. Clint didn't live in the tower and he never went out of his way to talk to her. For some reason, Darcy never went out of her way to become friends or just annoy him out of boredom. It wasn't a fact that bothered either of them. Until now she supposed. Either way, it didn't mean he was entitled to hear about her relationship drama. Not that any other Avenger was particularly entitled to it.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Darcy blew a stray lock of hair away from her face only to have it fall back. She gave it a few more tries until all the huffing made her fell ridiculous. Finally she tucked it behind her ear with her hand. It almost broke Clint's facade, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

The car was quiet, even with the radio on. Sweat prickled at Darcy's forehead and she crossed her arms, trying to settle comfortably into her seat. When that didn't help, she turned up the AC. Rather quickly, it became too cold and she suppressed a shiver. She shut off the AC and from the corner of her eye, she watched as Clint appeared completely unaffected. It pissed her off.

All too soon, they reached Matt's apartment. Clint pulled into the side of the street, emergency lights flashing as Darcy sent a text to announce their arrival. Once Darcy finished, she turned towards Clint and pinned him with an annoyed stare.

"Are you really going to pretend to be my boyfriend?"

"Yeah, why not?" Clint shrugged, nonplussed.

"It's a bit much, don't you think?" huffed Darcy, running out of ways to talk Clint out of this stupid plan. She could handle her own problems. She didn't need the Avengers or SHIELD or even Jane to take care of her. A voice in the back of her mind taunted her with how hypocritical she was acting when she enjoyed living in Stark Tower and borrowing Tony's things.

"No. He thinks you have someone else, then he'll back off. It's guy code. You wouldn't understand."

"Guy code?" Darcy raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Yep," Clint popped the p.

"Whatever. There he is. Behave," Darcy commanded, rolling down her window to wave at a tall, lanky boy with big glasses, blue skinny jeans and a plaid scarf. He stopped walking when he noticed Clint in the driver's seat. Lifting a hand holding a guitar case at her as a wave, he continued walking over, a little more cautiously.

" _That's_ him?" Clint scoffed.

"I said behave."

"C'mon, I was expecting a dude-bro at least. But that little guy? The wind could knock him over."

"I didn't bring you to make snarky comments about him."

"No, that was bonus. You're welcome," grinned Clint, winking at her. Holding the smile, he placed his arm around her headrest and began to lean in as if he was aiming for a kiss. Darcy widened her eyes and braced herself, stomach suddenly flipping. She wasn't sure why she didn't just lean away.

"Hey Darce," said an uncertain voice before Clint even got close to Darcy's mouth. Darcy cleared her throat and waited for Clint to move away. He didn't. Blood rushed to Darcy's cheeks as Matt raised his brow in want of an explanation.

"Hey, just put the stuff in the back," Darcy said, giving Matt an apologetic smile. She sunk lower into the seat in an attempt to pull away from Clint, feeling her cheeks growing even redder when she realized she had wanted Clint to kiss her.

"I need some help carrying a few things down," Matt said after a beat, looking directly at Darcy and rather obviously trying to ignore Clint.

"I'll help," Clint jumped in before Darcy could suggest something else.

"And you are?" Matt dragged his unamused expression away from Darcy to raise an eyebrow at Clint.

"Clint. I'm her boyfriend. You're her ex right? Uh, Jimmy?"

"Matt. She didn't tell you my name?" Matt looked between her and Clint with suspicion.

"Guess it wasn't important at the time," Clint pursed his lips before smiling tightly in a way that asked Matt for a challenge. Matt didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he gave Clint one final look of discontentment before moving to the back of the car to load his guitar and bag of equipment. As Clint unbuckled his seatbelt to hop out, Darcy smacked him lightly on the arm.

"Hey, I got this," Clint assured. He was out of the car before she could give him a warning or question his motives.

Soon, Clint was following Matt up the stairs. Darcy began to bang her head against the dashboard, hoping to damage Tony's precious car. Not that he ever drove it or would even notice it. Letting out a groan of rage, she lifted her leg to kick at the glove compartment. When it was evident most of the damage only resulted in the throbbing of her foot, she sunk into her chair and impatiently waited for the two men to come back.

* * *

"So, how long have you and Darcy been dating?" Matt asked as they walked up the first flight of stairs, not even bothering to look back at Clint. Clint wasn't sure he believed the elevator was actually broken. He knew a weak power play when he saw one.

"Uh, not long but, y'know, sometimes people just click," Clint said, not wanting to give concrete numbers that weren't previously agreed upon. The answer created tension in Matt's shoulders but it eased away rather quickly. Clint wasn't entirely sure what to make of it without seeing Matt's face.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," agreed Matt, stopped to turn around when they reached the first landing. His face was concerned but searching. "You're a little old for her, don't you think?"

"How old do you think I am?" Clint shot back, raising an eyebrow. They stared at each other in tense silence, sizing each other up until Matt chuckled.

"Fair enough," shrugged Matt, trudging up the rest of the way. Not having any other option, Clint followed him. While he and Darcy didn't know each other too well, he still felt a little protective of her. She seemed to be in a mess and he sort of gravitated towards that. For better or for worse. Luckily, he could probably take on Matt pretty easily if it got to that. Not that he really wanted to. A part of him knew he'd feel a little bit of remorse for beating up the kid. Though if Jane was right and Matt was a mentally abusive tool, maybe he did deserve it. The idea of anyone taking advantage of Darcy really ticked Clint off.

And Darcy sure seemed vulnerable in the car, despite the anger she tried to stifle him with. They weren't really on friendly terms but that didn't mean he hadn't watched her. The way she rolled her eyes or the way she snickered at whatever funny thing popped up on her phone when she thought no one wasn't looking or the way her nose wrinkled at something she didn't like. It was all Clint could do to not kiss her when he leaned in, especially when Darcy didn't move away automatically.

"So Clint, was that your car?' Matt asked over his shoulder, tugging Clint away from thoughts of Darcy's lips.

"Huh? Oh, car. Yeah," Clint said and Matt whistled, disbelief tinging his brow when he looked at Clint's attire. Worn jeans, loved hoodie and a bullseye shirt. Probably not the normal clothes of someone that owned a Porsche but then again, Tony was a huge fan of 80's band tees and he was pretty much a billionaire.

"Pretty nice. What do you do?"

"Don't worry about it," said Clint, wincing at how dodgy it sounded. Though, maybe it would keep Matt away from Darcy if he thought her boyfriend wasn't above throwing someone into the Hudson River with cement shoes. Though Clint _did_ shoot people with arrows for a living. That would probably work just as well as a warning.

"You sure about that?" asked Matt, voice tightening.

"Yeah…it's complicated."

"Complicated how?"

By now, they'd reached Matt's door and the boy waited with his keys in his hands, looking like he didn't trust Clint to handle his precious equipment, much less his ex-girlfriend.

"Just…it's on a need to know basis."

"Like government stuff?"

"Yeah…" Clint nodded. Again, closest he could get to the truth. Not that he should be bothered by telling a lie. This whole situation was a lie. He probably should have just said he was a CEO or something.

"Okay," Matt said, still not making any move to open his door. He squared his shoulders and looked at Clint seriously. "Look, I know I don't look like much and I don't know what Darcy told you about me so maybe you think I'm just spouting shit but if you hurt Darcy- and I don't care if it's an accident or because someone who doesn't like you is trying to get even- you hurt her and I'll come after you. Somehow, I'll come after you."

"I'd never hurt her and I would do everything to make sure no one else does," Clint swore, taken aback by the confession. Both Matt's and his. Satisfied with the answer, Matt unlocked his door and Clint was left to wonder what was really happening between Darcy and her ex. He seemed like an all right kid so far. Looks were normally deceiving though.

"Good. Hey, help me with the bass, will ya?"

Clint walked into the apartment to find a large stand up bass next to a number of amps, cables and pedals. His brow rose in surprise.

"Geez, what, are you a one-man band or something?"

* * *

When the final pieces of equipment was loaded into the small bar, Darcy made Clint wait in the car so she could have some alone time with Matt. The pouty frown on Clint's face was clear indication of how he felt about it (and there was no way Darcy was going to admit that it was kind of a cute look on him). Just as Darcy set down a bag of pedals, Matt cleared his throat.

"Thanks again, for all your help," Matt said. Darcy shrugged, not sure where to start and apologize for Clint's likely asshole comments when the two men were alone. "There's…a different reason for wanting you here. I wanted to tell you something. Really important. I wanted you to hear it from me instead of something stupid like Facebook."

At that, Darcy raised her brow. Matt hated Facebook and had often ridiculed Darcy's love of it. Which she thought was totally unfair because she never made fun of his Myspace page. Dread began to weigh her down. If Matt was willing to go onto his 'just for communication' Facebook to announce something, it was big.

"Okay, what?"

"Um, I've been seeing a girl and it's pretty serious."

"Oh…" Darcy felt like he had just slapped her in the face. There was no reason for her to be jealous but she knew in deep down, she'd never gotten over Matt. Yeah, they'd both seen other people in the tumultuous off times but something about his tone was…different.

"That's great," said Darcy in an all too obviously false chipper voice. Matt got a far off look in his eye and didn't seem to notice.

"Her name's Trixie. She's awesome. She's the lead singer in a local band. Plays the mandolin. We started jamming together and things just clicked. Gonna join me onstage tonight…" continued Matt. He paused, glancing at Darcy to gauge her reaction. She hoped her face was stoic. Clearing his throat, Matt offered her an apologetic look and it made her feel just a little pathetic. "Um, I'm asking her to marry me soon, actually."

Suddenly, the world felt off kilter and Darcy wanted to vomit. Either Matt didn't notice her now shallower breathes or he didn't want to comfort her. It was probably a mix of both.

"And at first, I was worried about telling you because, well you know us. But now you have Clint and I'm happy for you. I really am. Even if it doesn't look like I am. I just want you to be happy Darce."

"I want you to be happy too," Darcy lied, throat tightening. She could taste bile in in her mouth.

"Thanks. I promise I won't call you anymore or ask you for stupid favors. We're finally over Darce. It's a relief, right?" Matt let out a half-hearted laugh. "We were kind of shit."

"Yeah, we really were," Darcy had to agree, feeling tears begin to sting her eyes. She let Matt pull her into a weak hug but she didn't return it. They offered final goodbyes and Darcy turned towards the exit. Making her way back to the car, she kept her head held high and didn't look back. Even though she knew he wouldn't be waiting for her to do so. Biting her lip and closing her eyes, Darcy prayed that she could hold back the tears until she was alone in her room.

* * *

Without a word, Darcy slid back into the Porsche, refusing to look at Clint. She could feel his expectant stare as she looked ahead and tried to stop her eyes from watering. The windshield began to blur and she cursed under her breath. Just twenty minutes, half an hour max. That's all she had to hold it together for.

"So?" Clint asked gruffly. The leather seat squeaked as he turned his body towards her. When she didn't answer, she could feel his body tense next to her. A warm, callused hand touched the juncture where her neck and shoulder met. It was comforting. It undid her. A shaky sob left her mouth and his thumb began to rub along her collarbone.

"He was my boyfriend in high school," Darcy blurted. Tears began to run down her cheeks and Clint nodded silently for her to continue. "My first real kiss, my first time, my first heart break. He used to write me all these cheesy love songs. We come from this small town where everyone knows each other and never leaves. We always used to say we'd travel the world together. Get out. I don't know, I guess we knew each other so well, we knew all the ways to push each other's buttons and after a while, that's all we seemed to do."

Again, Clint nodded in understanding but stayed silent. Sniffling, Darcy wiped at her face and nose with her sleeve. She didn't need a mirror to know her cheeks were blotchy. Looking over, she took the time to actually see Clint since climbing back into the car. He was watching her with kindness in his eyes and concern in the lines of his face. She resisted the urge to bury her face in his neck and sob but she still wanted to know what it felt like to have his arms wrap tightly around her. It probably felt safe.

"And it wasn't so bad at first," Darcy continued. The tears still fell down her face but her voice was stronger. "I mean, we were on and off again in college. We went to different schools so it wasn't easy to begin with. He'd call me when shit got bad with his parents or with classes. We'd talk it through and sometimes I'd call him with my crap. Then I started traveling with Jane. New Mexico first then Norway then London. I guess he grew resentful? I was traveling around the world without him and he was studying to be a lawyer because that's what his parents expected. He just wants to write music though. Then he found out I'm living in New York, working and living at Stark Tower and things just got so much worse. It was like I got all that I never knew I wanted and didn't work half as hard as he did."

"He cheat on you before or after he got resentful?" asked Clint softly.

"Before. He got drunk at a frat party. But he felt so horrible about it. And we talked and things got a little better. Eventually, he dropped out of law school. Moved to New York to focus on music and he was so happy. Things were great but he started meeting new people and we drifted again. Then we fought about his new life here and…" Darcy shook her head with a bitter smile. "Now he's going to get engaged. He asked me to drive his ass around in traffic just to tell me he found the hipster girl of his dreams. And I fucking jumped at the chance. I'm such an idiot. She plays mandolin. I can hardly carry a note in the shower. I was never enough. We both sort of knew that. It just took me a lot longer than he did to realize it."

"Hey," Clint said gently, pushing Darcy ever so lightly so she would look at him. He looked her in the eyes with the same focus he gave to archery. "You're enough. More than enough. You two just weren't right in the end. It's no one's fault. You just gotta learn when you need to let go before it consumes you and you can't anymore."

Nodding, Darcy knew he was right. For a moment, she thought she could let it all go but a wave of grief overtook her. Scrunching her face, she tried to will the sobs to stop before they even began but to no avail. With her head in her hands, Darcy's body wracked with ugly sobs. The sharp, high pitched heaving hurting her own ears. Shame mingled with the loss. Pulling up her legs, Darcy hid her face in her knees.

His hand squeezed her shoulder before leaving her cold. Looking up, Darcy feared she would find disgust in Clint's face but instead, saw him fiddling with the radio. Eventually, he found a station playing _We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together_ and stopped, satisfied. Darcy's brow furrowed as he turned up the volume.

"C'mon Darcy. Sing it out."

"Taylor Swift? Really?" Darcy asked dryly. Clint was not abashed.

"Hey, don't let me hear you say anything bad about my girl, T Swizzle."

Her tears had already lessened and her cheeks were drying but Darcy couldn't figure out if Clint was making a coincidental joke or was actually a huge fan of Taylor Swift. When Darcy didn't sing along to the song, Clint started, hoping she would join. He didn't miss any of the words and actually had a decent singing voice. After he finish the verse, Darcy let out a sigh. Giving in she joined, not caring that she clashed horribly with the harmony he easily sang.

"We are never, ever, ever! Getting back together!" Darcy howled cathartically, breaking often to catch her breath as the sobs lessened. As much as she hated to admit it, it was helping.

Not at all discouraged at her inability to hold a note, Clint just sang longer and little off key. Laughing, Darcy started to sway in her seat. At least she could keep she faltered on the lyrics, Clint caught her.

"I'm really gonna miss you picking fights! And me falling for it screaming that I'm right! And you would hide away and find your peace of mind," crooned Clint and Darcy joined in, practically screaming the line she actually knew.

"With some indie record that's much cooler than mine!"

The chorus started up again and they threw all their emotion into the rendition. When Clint recited the speaking portion of the song, Darcy broke out into giggles. The tears in her eyes were due to joy rather than sadness this time. People walking past the car peered in for a moment to watch the madness but then continued on their way. A petite girl with lavender hair and a pierced nose took a moment to giggle at their performance before heading into the bar. Darcy noticed a she carried a case that looked like it housed a mandolin. She didn't let it hurt her. Instead, she just sang even louder.

By the end of the song, Darcy and Clint were out of breath, doubled over in laughter. Darcy dropped her head onto Clint's shoulder and his arms wrapped around her, bringing her in even closer. Although it made her lean a little uncomfortably out of her seat, the embrace was even more comforting that she thought it would be. Closing her eyes, Darcy melted into the touch, taking in the smell of Clint's deodorant. It was woody and clean. She buried her nose into his collarbone. Clint's chin nuzzled the side of her head and his grip tightened. They pulled back slightly but not breaking contact, looking into each other's eyes. Something in Darcy's chest felt as if a force was tugging her towards Clint. He leaned down, like he was inviting her to kiss him. Darcy let out a last sniffle, to try and clear out the snot left in her nose and he froze. The arms around her dropped and he leaned back into his seat. Just like that, the moment was over.

Clint offered her a sheepish smile. It didn't lessen the sting but Darcy let it slip by her. She needed to learn when to let things go and she was trying hard to listen to his advice.

"You want…ice cream or something?" asked Clint.

"Nah," Darcy shook her head. "I think Jane will explode if we make her wait any longer. Besides, she probably amassed a whole bunch of desserts by now."

"Okay," nodded Clint, looking past Darcy. He shifted the car into gear and they rode back to the tower in silence.

* * *

After the car happenstance, Darcy and Clint's interactions increased. Their friendship evolved into a myriad of sarcastic and witty quips, teetering dangerously on the edge of seriousness but luckily never toppling over into it. Their brief attraction was never addressed again and it seemed to just disappear into the background. Which was all fine and dandy with Darcy. She needed some time away from men and their temptations and Clint didn't appear to have any inclination whatsoever to be the rebound guy. So, they occasionally drank together and snarked about the life of an Avenger or Avenger cohort.

The rest of the Avengers seemed to take Darcy in even more, trying in their own way to nurse her back from the brink of estrangement. Bruce made her lots of green tea, Steve took her to swing dancing lessons, Sam took her to self defense lessons, Thor was his normal cuddly, warm self and Tony gave her free gadgets.

But the one that had really helped her was Clint. There were some nights when he would arrive at her door without warning. They'd grab a few beers and sit up on the roof, talk about nothing and a bit of everything. That was how she learned Clint was in the circus and he learned that Darcy's family always had a family reunion weekend in the beginning of summer. It didn't seem like much but just having someone there, someone she knew she could trust, that didn't try to change or improve her- that was the best thing she could ask for.

Occasionally, Jane and Thor would join them. There were even some nights Tony and Bruce made an appearance. Almost always though, Darcy would see Clint's silhouette right before sleep took her. Hours later, she'd wake up in her bed from a surprisingly good night's sleep. Cosy but alone.

Soon, the end of summer arrived and fall began. Natasha, who had been called away on a mission, finally came back. Without a word, she dragged Darcy on a road trip out of the city. They sang along to Icona Pop, picked apples and ate some apple cobblers that were so good, Darcy almost cried from joy. The day trip turned into a weekend romp back in the city, in which Darcy and Natasha posed as a lesbian couple, had a movie montage worthy shopping spree, snuck into a few clubs and watched the sun rise from a rich stranger's roof in Midtown. The next day was spent at a spa, only to repeat the clubbing. Darcy watched the next sunrise on the Avengers Tower, Natasha napping on her right and Clint to her left with an arm draped around her shoulders to shield her from the cold. At the end of the weekend, Darcy could safely say she was over Matt. Or at least, mostly. But it was more than she could say he had been since she met him.

* * *

 **End Note- Songs Mentioned**  
Thrift Shop by Macklemore  
We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift


End file.
